1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication device that uses a plurality of communication channels or a plurality of communication protocols.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, communication devices have been provided with multi-functions, and communication channels and communication protocols have been diversified. As a result, communication devices that can use a plurality of communication channels or a plurality of communication protocols are being developed. For example, a conventional facsimile machine only performs a facsimile communication using a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). However, recent facsimile machines can use a PBX (Private Branch Exchange), and further include a LAN (Local Area Network) interface. Therefore, the facsimile machine can communicate with terminals connected to the LAN, or communicate using an intranet connected to the LAN or Internet. In addition, a communication can be carried out using various communication protocols, other than protocols used during the facsimile communication. Various communication protocols include the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), the POP (Post Office Protocol), the HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol), the VoIP (Voice over IP), or the like, which are used when using the LAN, the Internet, or the like.
Accompanying such diversification of the communication channels and the communication protocols, when specifying a communication device as a receiving communication device, it is necessary to use identification information corresponding to each communication channel or communication protocol. For example, when using the PSTN, the identification information for the receiving communication device is a telephone number. When using the LAN or the Internet, the identification information is the IP (Internet Protocol) address. When transmitting by an electronic mail in particular, the identification information is the electronic mail address. When using the HTTP as the communication protocol, the identification information is the URL (Uniform Resource Locator).
In the conventional communication device that can use a plurality of communication channels or communication protocols, it is necessary to set the communication channel and the communication protocol to be used. In addition, it is necessary to set the identification information for the communication device used as the receiving device according to the set communication channel or the communication protocol. Therefore, in the case where the communication device used as the receiving communication device handles a plurality of communication channels or communication protocols, it is necessary to set different identification information for the same destination. This setting process is extremely complicated. In addition, the user is responsible for selecting which communication channel or communication protocol to use. The user is also required to select the communication channel or the communication protocol each time a communication is carried out. Such an operation is troublesome for the user.
Furthermore, due to such a diversification of the communication channel or the communication protocol, the communication channel and the communication protocol that can be used differs according to the communication device. As a result, the communication cannot be carried out directly with certain communication device used as the receiving communication device. In such a case, conventionally, the communication has to be carried out by searching for another communication device that can carry out the communication directly with the receiving communication device. There are also cases when the communication device was replaced with a communication device that has the ability to carry out the communication directly with the receiving communication device. In addition, it is necessary to purchase a new communication device.
In addition, the general communication device creates and stores communication management information as communication history. When the communication channel and the communication protocol are diversified as mentioned above, the communication management information is also diversified. For example, there are cases when different communication results are shown according to the communication channel used, or according to the communication protocol used. Therefore, when referring to displayed or printed communication management information, different information is referred to according to which communication channel or communication protocol used. Thus, problems arise where the communication management information is extremely complicated and difficult to understand.